La Porte Herald-Argus
It's nice to take the pulse of the electorate frequently, but having a referendum can be a costly affair. That's why it's good to see La Porte County government resisting the state Legislature's mandate to conduct a referendum on Nov. 3 on whether to form a regional transportation authority with three other counties.
County Commission President Barbara Huston said Tuesday she's not in favor of a special election this fall. If an election is conducted in all 74 county precincts, it could cost La Porte County nearly a quarter million dollars.
The election apparatus would have to be set up for a single question on the ballot if the referendum is held this November, whereas the cost would be next to nothing if the question were posed during the regularly scheduled primary election next May.
It was wise of the Indiana General Assembly to put the question to the voters, since a regional transportation authority, if approved by voters, would have the power to levy taxes.
However, it was unwise to schedule it this November, when no other election is to take place. The other three counties, St. Joseph, Porter and Lake, are resisting the mandate also, and while it's unclear what happens if no referendum is conducted, State Sen. Jim Arnold has noted that there is no penalty in the law for non-compliance.
Of course, another referendum was conducted this year in May, again when no regular election was scheduled. That was called for when remonstrators petitioned against a Michigan City Area Schools proposal for a bond issue to build a $39 million tech center.
Election officials saved money by having only two polling places instead of using all 33 in the school district, a smart move. Consolidating precincts for all elections is best approach long term, but let's not have the RTA vote this fall.